On September 2, 2010, 40 Israeli pioneers in the field of Spiritual Care gathered for a one-day workshop to prepare for the High Holy Days. Throughout Israel, there is a growing network of organizations and initiatives promoting professional and volunteer Spiritual Counseling. HUC-JIR's Mezorim program of the Blaustein Center for Spiritual Counseling has been at the forefront of this growing movement, which has been nurtured and supported by the UJA Federation of New York.
Rabbi Rachel Cowan, Executive Director and visionary founder of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, was the featured speaker. She shared her years of experience in the first steps of Jewish healing and Jewish wellness, offering knowledge and techniques to help us understand the role of spiritual care and spiritual direction.
The day was organized by Dr. Ruchama Weiss, who oversees all the programs at the Blaustein Center. Chani Kroyzer, Director of B'Ruach at the Shaare Tzedek Hospital, taught the participants. Also represented was the CPE program at Machon Schechter.
This was a successful gathering for this emerging field that seeks the wisdom and insight from each others' efforts and experience.